Fun Times

August 31, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,
What a fun week we've had. Elder Lindsey finished the Yearbook and DVD on Thursday so he is feeling a great deal of relief. Monday I served in the Visitors' Center in the afternoon but things were so slow that I left at 6:00pm and got to got to FHE for the chili cook off and talent show. Fun times...we have some very talented (and funny) missionaries.

This group wrote new words to two primary songs. They had us laughing and crying!

Tuesday was Sisters Day Out in Casper. This is an annual event the end of August where the Christopher and Banks store at the mall opens an hour early just for us. It is an opportunity for everyone to get a new outfit for going home or as in my case some warm clothing for the winter in South Dakota.

Some of the Sisters had already moved on to other stores but by our shopping bags you can tell we had a great time and by shopping smart saved our companions a lot of money!

After checking out a few other stores in the mall we headed to our favorite second hand store. I really scored here, finding six new winter skirts all half price! Two of them still had their original tags on them. I was one happy shopper. Everyone met for lunch at a local Mexican restaurant then after a quick stop at Walmart we headed for home.

Sister Ormsby, Sister Paulsen, me, Sister Rollins and Sister Smith headed for a fun day of shopping. I love these ladies and have had so much fun with them these last five months!

The first thing I had to do at home was clean out my closet...out with the old and in with the new! Yes Elder Lindsey still has half the closet!

The rest of the week was spent on work crew. Thursday a bunch of us Sisters went out to Handcart Parking to paint some benches that were moved in late in the season and to touch up the picnic tables under the pavilion. On the way our I talked Sister Bingham into driving the rover over to the river so I could see the rocks that I've been too chicken to walk over to. (Tall grass equals snakes).

The beautiful Sweetwater River. I'm wearing my well used painting coveralls!

I only painted until 11:30am as our district was having a dinner and I had been asked to smoke baby back ribs on the Treger. The ribs turned out great and the party was fun. Good food, good friends and games make for a great evening. 

Early Friday afternoon I got a call from Elder Lindsey, who was still at the Homestead, telling me that my friend Debra Jones and her husband were at the Visitors' Center. They followed Elder Lindsey out to Missionary Village and we had a fun visit. It was only after they left I realized I didn't get a picture! I guess they will just have to come back!

Friday afternoon we headed to the mountains with the Paulsens, Ormsbys, Smith's and Blacks. We Sisters walked the last 2 plus miles into the picnic area (uphill). It was beautiful and great to stretch our legs. We BBQed hamburgers and hot dogs and had potato salad I had made after work and we had an assortment of chips. Another good meal shared with good friends in a beautiful setting.

We can see clear to Martin's Cove from the top of this mountain.

On our way up the mountain we stopped and watched these two beautiful wild horses play. 

Saturday Elder Lindsey was up early and out repairing the roof of the motor home. We had gotten a small leak this week and when he checked it out realized the whole roof needed recaulked. Since he was on the roof I did a clean up of the inside and then fixed breakfast. When Elder Lindsey went back to the roof I went into the Sewing Center at the Homestead and worked on hemming the skirts I bought last Tuesday. It's so nice to have a place to work that has everything you need organized and within easy reach.

Saturday evening we had a swing band come out and we had a fun evening dancing, visiting and of course eating...root beer floats and watermelon!

The Band!

Sisters Line Dancing!

Today was another wonderful Sunday. It was announced today that Elder and Sister Bushman who have been serving here at Martin's Cove for the last 18 months will be our new Directors as of January 2015. They will leave for home this coming Saturday and then return to their new position in January. The Bushman's are well loved here at MMHS and will make wonderful directors.

Many of the Sisters were sporting their new attire bought on our shopping day last Tuesday. Sister Cherry and I had great taste in jackets.

Elder Lindsey and I served the afternoon shift at the Visitors' Center after church today. Most of our early traffic was from family and friends who were visiting missionaries for the holiday weekend. Things quieted down for awhile and then we got two tour busses. The first one had mostly Asian tourists from Toronto Canada. They are always great fun, they love to take lots of pictures and any literature we have in their language...they love to have copies of the Book of Mormon. Right behind them was a tour full of Russian people who now live in New York and New Jersey. A tender mercy for me was visiting with a couple from Kiev who immigrated to the USA in 1994. I told them about my granddaughter Kati serving a mission in Kiev and how much she loves the people and the beautiful country. The woman told me that the things I was telling her lightened her heart as they worry so about the things that are happening back home. She gave me a big hug and he told me how much they admire the Church and our commitment to helping people and supporting families.

I didn't get their name but I asked if I could take their picture so Kati could see her Grandma was also working with wonderful Ukrainian people on her mission.

We love our Heavenly Father, we love his Church and most of all we love serving this mission. We are richely blessed.

Our love and prayers are with you always,

Elder and Sister Lindsey